YWDEP Profiled on DCist

Many thanks to Sriram Gopal and DCist for profiling YWDEP…

Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart wrote in his excellent book, Drumming at the Edge of Magic, that “[w]ords are so inadequate at capturing the spirit of percussion.” One need only go to Malcolm X Park on any given Sunday to see the indescribable and spiritual effect drumming and rhythm can have on the receptive listener. Unfortunately, access to this experience is not universal. Any glance at a your average drum circle, high school marching band, or list of drummers at a music festival reveals a glaring absence: women.

Many still see female percussionists as a novelty, despite the trailblazing efforts of a few very well known players, and many more who are not so well known. Through some unfortunate combination of simple prejudice and deep rooted social mores, drumming remains “a man’s game.” But the problem is more than another example of gender inequity. The status quo means that women are denied the sense of self, and community, that drumming can instill more effectively than many other avocations.

“Drumming requires that one be completely present in that moment.,” said Kristen Arant, a local percussionist and performance artist. “In that way, it’s meditative, restorative, revitalizing and energizing.”

Click here to read the rest of the profile on DCist.